General-Director of Brazilian Senate resigns after scandal

According to the daily, the mansion, a 1,000 square meters large property located in a posh neighborhood in Brasilia, Brazil's capital city, was bought in 1999 and registered by Federal Representative Joao Maia, Agaciel Maia's brother. The mansion's value was estimated at about five million reais (about two million U.S. dollars). Maia denied any wrongdoings, saying that he could not possibly hide the house he lives in from the IRS. He admitted, though, that the property's ownership was never legally transferred to him. According to Maia, the resignation was definitive, and was a way to let the investigation run its course independently and without interferences. He will remain as a Senate employee. The investigation on the General-Director had been requested by Jose Sarney, president of the Brazilian Senate. It was Sarney who nominated Maia for the position in 1995 during his first term as President of the Senate. Maia's resignation, which was immediately accepted by Senator Sarney, does not end the investigation. Several of the country's political groups requested a detailed investigation into Maia's finances, to find out the origin of the resources used to buy the mansion. The position of General-Director will be filled by Assistant Director of the Senate, Alexandre Gazineo, Kazinform refers to Xinhua.